Caritas Freetown and Partners Strengthen Collaboration with Government to Advance Youth Mental Health and Well-being
Freetown, Sierra Leone – 1 September 2026. Caritas Freetown, in collaboration with the Research Programme on Children and Adolescents (RPCA), Boston College School of Social Work, and the Government of Sierra Leone, with support from Grand Challenges Canada (GCC) and the Being Network, convened the Quarterly National Stakeholder Engagement and Youth Collaborative Sessions for the Youth Readiness Intervention (YRI) ELEVATE Project. The engagement brought together key government institutions, project partners, facilitators, and other stakeholders to strengthen collaboration, address implementation challenges, promote government ownership, and explore opportunities for policy integration and resource mobilisation to support the sustainability of the intervention. Held at the Caritas Freetown Office at 19 Savage Street, Freetown, the engagement was held under the theme: “Collaborative Problem-Solving for Effective YRI Implementation, Government Ownership, Policy Integration and Resource Mobilisation.” The meeting brought together representatives from the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Social Welfare, Mental Health Directorate, Sierra Leone Psychiatric Teaching Hospital, Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, the District Planning Officer for Western Area Rural, a resource mobilisation specialist, and YRI facilitators supporting implementation across the project’s operational areas. The engagement came at a critical time as the YRI ELEVATE Project continues its efforts to reach young people across Western Area Rural, Port Loko, Bo, and Kenema. The project seeks to contribute to reducing substance use and youth unemployment while strengthening young people’s resilience, mental health, emotional well-being, and ability to navigate challenges. Opening the engagement, the Acting Executive Director of Caritas Freetown, Madam Eliza G. O. C. Sillah, highlighted the importance of bringing stakeholders together to openly discuss implementation challenges and develop practical solutions. “This engagement provides an opportunity for us to come together, reflect on what we have achieved, identify the challenges we are facing, and collectively find solutions that will strengthen the implementation of YRI,” she noted. Madam Musu Moigua, Project Lead, presented an overview of the YRI ELEVATE Project, highlighting progress, achievements, lessons learned, and challenges emerging from implementation in the targeted communities. One of the key challenges discussed was the limited availability of suitable spaces for conducting YRI sessions in some communities. Access to safe and appropriate spaces is essential for facilitators to deliver sessions effectively and create an environment where young people can participate openly and confidently. Responding to the concern, Mr James Sandy, Director of Programmes at the Ministry of Youth Affairs, assured the project team of the Ministry’s willingness to facilitate access to suitable buildings constructed by the Ministry that could support relevant project activities. Mr Sandy also emphasized the importance of strengthening engagement with community stakeholders, particularly local chiefs and youth leaders, to improve community ownership, mobilization, and support for the intervention. The Ministry of Social Welfare similarly reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the project by facilitating the deployment of additional social workers to locations where their services are needed. Beyond addressing immediate implementation challenges, the engagement placed strong emphasis on government ownership and sustainability. Stakeholders recognized that achieving lasting impact for young people requires more than project-based interventions. It requires strong collaboration among government institutions, communities, development partners, and frontline service providers, as well as the integration of effective interventions into existing systems and structures. The discussions therefore focused on strengthening coordination among the health, social welfare, youth, and mental health sectors while exploring opportunities for policy integration and resource mobilization. This multi-sectoral approach is central to ensuring that young people experiencing emotional distress, substance use challenges, unemployment, and other forms of adversity can access appropriate support within their communities. The stakeholder engagement builds on the project’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the capacity of frontline workers to support young people. During the reporting period, 135 Community Health Workers, Mental Health Nurses, Social Workers, and Youth Officers were trained to deliver the Youth Readiness Intervention across the targeted areas. The training equipped frontline workers with practical knowledge and facilitation skills to help young people build resilience, strengthen emotional regulation, improve communication and problem-solving skills, develop healthier coping strategies, and navigate challenges affecting their well-being. The continued involvement of the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Social Welfare, and Ministry of Youth Affairs demonstrates the Government of Sierra Leone’s commitment to strengthening community-based support systems for young people. In her closing remarks, Madam Eliza G. O. C. Sillah expressed appreciation to all stakeholders for their active participation and continued commitment to the YRI ELEVATE Project. She expressed hope that the commitments made during the engagement would translate into concrete actions that improve implementation, strengthen community support, and expand opportunities for young people across the targeted communities. The engagement concluded with a renewed commitment among stakeholders to work together to address implementation challenges, mobilise resources, strengthen government ownership, and build sustainable systems that respond to the needs of young people. The Youth Readiness Intervention (YRI) ELEVATE is a project implemented through a partnership between Boston College and Caritas Freetown, in collaboration with the Government of Sierra Leone, and with support from Grand Challenges Canada (GCC) and the Being Network. The Being Network is an international mental health initiative that envisions a world where young people feel well and thrive. Hosted by Grand Challenges Canada, Being works alongside young people to improve mental health and well-being through research, innovation, and ecosystem building. The initiative is funded in part by the Government of Canada, Fondation Botnar, and the United Kingdom’s Department of Health and Social Care through UK Aid and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). It is delivered in partnership with the Science for Africa Foundation, Orygen, and United for Global Mental Health across 12 priority countries, including Sierra Leone.